Mono Gateway – A 10GbE nano-ITX router board powered by NXP Layerscape LS1046A

• SoC – NXP Layerscape LS1046A quad-core Cortex-A72 processor @ 1.6 GHz
• System Memory – 8 GB ECC RAM  @ 2100 MT/s
• Storage
  • 32 GB eMMC flash for the OS
  • 64 MB NOR flash for the bootloader
• Networking
  • 2x SFP+ 10 Gbps Ethernet cages
  • 3x Gigabit Etherner RJ45 ports
  • Optional WiFi 6 2×2 MU-MIMO via M.2 Key-E module
  • Optional Tri-radio WiFi 5.0, Bluetooth, Thread via (another) M.2 Key-E module
• USB – 1x USB 3.0 Type-C port
• Debugging
  • JTAG connector
  • 100+ test points throughout the PCB
  • 8x power sensors and 2x temperature sensors for real-time system insights
  • UART USB-C port
• Misc – Status RGB LED, active cooling via 2x 2-pin 5V PWM fan headers
• Power Supply – USB-C PD 3.0; 65W charger provided
• Dimensions
  • Board – 120 x 120 mm (Nano-ITX form factor)
  • Polycarbonate enclosure – TBD

We’re also told the router runs OpenWrt, and Linux distributions as well as networking-specific operating systems (VyOS) and technologies (VPP + DPDK) will also be supported. But apart from that, there’s limited information on the project’s website. Having said that, the LS1046A is an older SoC introduced in 2016, and the NXP LS1046A reference developer board is also supported in OpenWrt, so I would not worry too much about software support. For reference, we also covered some other LS1046A hardware platforms in the past, such as the Forlinx OK1046A-C networking SBC and Conclusive Engineering WHLE-LS1046A.

If you like video content, Toma Zaman is providing regular updates on his YouTube channel. The project started over a year ago, and it’s getting closer to completion. I’ve included one of the more recent updates below.

The Mono Gateway 10GbE Nano-ITX router board is still considered a development kit without price optimization. People who want to get a sample can pay a $100 reservation fee before purchasing the board for $600, and get it shipped between June and September 2025. If I understand correctly, there will eventually be a “Founders Edition” with a CNC-milled aluminium enclosure and a “Rackmount Edition” with a sheet metal enclosure that may be slightly cheaper once launched.